Shoe sole press



May 2Q, 1947. A. PERRI ZAZQWZ SHOE SOLE PRESS Filed Jan. 13, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

May 2%, 14?; A, PERRR ,42@,972

SHOE SOLE PRESS ay 2, 3%? A. PERRH 9 19 SHOE SOLE PRESS Filed Jan. 13, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ay 20, i947 mrso STATE PATENT orrics Allied Shoe Machinery Corp Havel- Maia,

a corporation of Massachuse ts Application January 13, 1945, Serial No. 372,821

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in presses of the general type which have a. principal utility for applying cemented outersole elements to footwear. More particularly it provides improvements in shoe sole presses of the general type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,334,437, granted November 16, 1943, wherein an adjustable lever-carried upper jaw coacts with an inflatable lower jaw in applying soleadhering pressure to a lasted shoe inserted between the laws.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a last plate on the upper jaw of a shoe sole press, instead of the usual last, and to mount said plate for ready movement laterally to a loading and unloading position at which a shoe conveniently and easily may be placed on the last plate and removed therefrom.

Another object 'is to provide an improved molded inflatable lower jaw for a shoe sole press for efl'ective coactlon with the last plate of the upper jaw.

Still another object is to provide an auxiliary molded surface for the inflatable law of my improved press, for preserving said jaw against wear in use of the press, said auxiliary surface being readily replaceable.

A still further object is to provide an inflatable law for a shoe sole press which requires no interior rubber bladder and which thus elimmates the problems of deterioration of such a bladder and the frequent failures thereof due to ruptures at the seams.

Yet another object is to provide an improved control for more efi'ectively inflating and deflating my improved inflatable jaw.

It is, moreover, my p rpose and object generally to improve upon prior presses and more especially presses of the general. type employed. for applying outersoles to shoes.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a sole applying unit having two sole presses embodying features of the invention arranged side by side on a unitary base;

e 2 is a similar view, on a larger scale, of the two sole presses of Figure 1, the left-hand press having a lasted shoe engaged therein, and the right-hand press having no shoe therein and having its inflatable lower jaw removed;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of .one of the shoe presses with a lasted shoe engaged between its laws, the inflatable lower jaw being shown in cross-section;

Figure 8a is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of inflatable bag;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of my improved inflatable lower jaw of the press:

Figure 5 is an edge elevation of the Jaw of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the receptacle support for the inflatable jaw; v

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view on line 'I--l ofv no ure 6; 1

Figure 8 is a top plan view of my auxiliary surface for the inflatable law mounted in its removable frame support;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view on line 9-9 is of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of my improved control valve;

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view on line il-ll of Figure 10; s

Figure 12 is adetail cross-sectional view on line i2-'-i2 of Figure 8, on a larger scale; and

Figure 13 is a detail cross-sectional view through the support for a laterally swingable last plate.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1-3 thereof, the two sole presses indicated generally at it and I2 conveniently may be right and left presses mounted side by side on the unitary base it. Both presses are the same excepting that the last plate 16 of the right-hand press swings to the right for l and the last plate is of the left-hand press swings to the left for loading, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

Also the last plates l6 and i8 ordinarily will be right and left last plates respectively.

As best seen in. Fig. 3, each press comprises a suitably heavy and strong vertically disposed yoke 20 rigidly secured as by bolts 22 on the base it. The yoke has integrally formed thereon the slightly curved but generally horizontal table M elevated above the base it and rigidly braced by the vertical rib 2t.

The upper end of each yoke 20 is formed with a vertically disposed interiorly threaded boss 28 within which is threaded the vertically adjustable screw 30 equipped at its upper end with the hand wheel 32. The lower end of the screw has a ball-in-socket swivel connection at 34 to a slide member 88 which is slidably keyed at 38 (Fig. 12)

5 to a lever to which is pivotally mounted at 42 on the yoke 20 Lever 40 extends generally horizontally but may be adjusted to different inclinations from horizontal by means of the hand wheel 82 and screw 30 and ordinarily the lever remains stationary after having been set for a particular sole-pressing operation.

It is one feature of the invention that a lasted on bushing 50 which in turn is adiustably pinned at 52 to the lever 40. The lever has a series of holes 54 therein and the pin 52 extends removably through bushing 50 and through a selected one of the holes 54, for locking the bushing to the lever at a selected location along the lever.

Referring to Fig. 13, the bushing 50 has an annular retaining shoulder 58 on one side of ring 48 and a plate 58 is secured to the smaller end of the bushing, as by screws 60 for maintaining the ring rotatably on the bushing. Plate 80 also has an arcuate cut-out at 62 providing the shoulders 64, 66 against which a pin 88 on rin 48 engages to limit rotational movement of the ring on the bushing 50 in both directions. A counter-weight 10 on each ring-shaped member 48 facilitates outward swinging of the last plates I8, I8 for loading and unloading.

The lower jaw of each press comprises an inflatable bag indicated generally at 12 which is mounted within the flanged support 14 which in turn is secured on the table 24 of yoke 20 as by screws 16 passing through the depending flanges I8 of the support and threaded into the table. The support has a rigid bottom 80 with an upwardly extending flange 82 all around the support, and the bag 12 rests loosely on the bottom 80 of the support within the flange 82.

According to my invention, however, the inflatable bag comprises molded upper and lower sections 84, 88 which preferably are of relatively heavy leather, each molded to the generally rectangular shape illustrated and each having an out-turned flange 85, 81. The flanges 85, 81 of the two sections are clamped together upon an intervening sealing gasket 88 by means of the clamping strips 90, 82 and the screws 94. It'is a feature that the usual bladder, which deteriorates and which frequently fails at the seams, is eliminated in favor of the molded sections 84, 88 whose interior surfaces may be sprayed with latex or the like, if desired, to make the sections absolutely impervious to air or other gas. Also, latex or other suitable sealing agent may be employed at the gasket 88, if necessary to ensure an air-tight juncture of sections at the clamp. Besides eliminating the usual bladder,-

my molded-leather bag construction is less expensive to manufacture and assemble as compared with prior inflatable press bags and gen.- erally is more satisfactory and eflicient in use. However, if desired, upper and lower lining sections 86, sung. 3a) of rubber or rubberized fabric may be employed within my molded leather bag, the lining sections extending into the clamp in place of gasket 88, or additional to the gasket,

impervious to air, especially when sprayed interiorly with latex or a like sealing substance.

As best seen in Fig. 3, my improved bag has a short tube I00 secured to and depending from the lower bag section 88, the tube opening into the interior of the bag and having its outer end threaded for ready connection to a pressure line I02, by means of the coupling member I04, there being suitable openings in the bottom 80 of the support and in the table 24 so that the tube I00 can extend through these elements to the coupling location which conveniently may be opbag-surfacing sheet I08 for protecting the upper molded section of bag 12 against wear in use of the press. This auxiliary surfacing sheet preferably is of leather and is in the nature of an apron mounted on the U-shaped frame IIO. As best seen in Fig. 8, sheet I08 is secured to the frame IIO along two sides and one end as by the screws II2, the sheet being molded to nicely fit the upper molded section 84. Frame III], with sheet I08 thereon, is adapted to be slipped over the upper section of bag, the frame having the vertically notched ends II4 on its parallel side arms for engaging over projecting pins III; on the bag support 14 (Fig. 6), and having depending arms II8 at opposite sides, toward the opposite end of the frame, each arm having an inwardly directed foot I20 in which is mounted a vertically disposed spring pressed pin I22 for engaging under table 24, to hold the frame removably on the table with sheet I08 in covering relation to the upper molded section 84 of the bag. The frame may be additionally secured by a set screw I24-in" a depending flange I26 at the closed end of the frame, screwed against the flange of the bag support 14. By this means, any wear incident to use of the press, and which otherwise would occur in the bag proper, is taken by the auxiliary surface I08 which easily and economicaily may be replaced whenever its. condition warrants.

Air or other gaseous pressure for inflating the bags 12 may come to the presses from any suitable source through the supply line I28 which leads to the control valve I30 conveniently located at the base'of the machine where it can be operated by the foot of an operator for selective inflation and deflation of the inflatable bags of the two presses at will. For this purpose, the valve stem I32 has mounted thereon the oppositely disposed pedals I34, I38 operative in unison so that when one pedal is depressed to inflate the bag of one press. the other pedal will be in elevated position and the second press bag will be open to the exhaust line I88.

Referring to Figs. 10 and 11, valve I30 comprises a generally cup-shaped body I40 over whose open side is secured by bolts I42 the relatively with a suitable sealing medium added, to provide a sectional bladder having no seams to fail and one capable of being produced at a considerable saving over the cost of regular bladders.

However, I have found by experience that my molded leather bags, sealed at the clamp, and made of heavy good grade leather preferably with the grain surfaces exposed, are substantially thick plate I44 having an axial hole I46 in which the valve stem I32 rotatablyextends for rotatably engaging a rotary valve I48. It is a feature that the rotary valve l48.has an axial socket I50 therein for reception of the end of the valve stem I32, the'latter'being adapted to be thrust through the hole Ili'in'pl'ate I44 and into socket I50 and to be retained therein by a'set screw I52 in a boss of plate I44'engaging in an annular groove I54 in the valve stem. By this means, the stem is rotatably retained in the plate I44. Thestem has an off-set end groove I58 for engaging a pin I58 the presses.

interiorly of the socket I50 thereby to effect a drive connection between the stem and the valve. Also the off-set position of the end groove ensures a predetermined relationship between the valve and the stem, so that there is no possibility of assembling the valve unit with the valve I48 reversed from a predetermined proper arrangement of it within the casing.

The relatively thick plate I has the inlet passage ISO to which the supply line I28 isconnected, and has the exhaust passage I62 connected to the exhaust line I38. Also plate I has the passages I66, we each connected to one of the pipes I02 leading to the inflatable bags of Valve use has the arcuate grooves I68, I10 in its face which is toward plate I44 and a strong coil spring I12 constantly presses the valve against plate I. As represented in Figs. 10 and 11, valve I48 is set so that its groove I68 connects the supply line I28 with one of the pipes I02 to supply compressed air to one of the presses, while groove IIli connects the other pipe I02 to the exhaust line. A ninety-degree counterclockwise rotation of valve M8, in Fig. 11, will connect the supply line I28 to the other pipe I02 and simultaneously will cnnect. the other press to the exhaust line I38. A stop pin I13 in plate ltd projects into groove I68 and limits rotary movement of valve M8. Also it ensures against assembly with groove I'II) uppermost.

It is a feature of the invention, however, that 1 the groove I68 in valve i8 is in communication at lit with the main interior of the valve casing so that the supply line pressure constantly prevails within the casing urging the valve strongly against the plate Md. By this means any appreciable escape of air between the valve grooves I68, I'IIi is avoided and wear at the frictionally engaged'surfaces of the valve and plate has no effect on the efllciency and effectiveness of the valve throughout the life of the valve.

In the operation of my double press, the operator first swings one of the last plates, for example the right-hand plate IS in Fig.2, laterally outward to its position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2, and inserts a shoe on plate I6, after which the plate is swung back to bring the base 01 the shoe over the inflatable bag I2 with an outersole intervening between the shoe and the inflatable bag I2 of the press. Assuming that pedal I St is elevated as in Fig. l, the operator next depresses that pedal to open the connection through valve I30 between the supply line I28 and the pipe I02 leading to the right-hand press. Simultaneously, the other press is opened through valve I30 to exhaust line I38. Then the operator opens hand valve IIB (Fig. l) to admit compressed air to the inflatable bag I2 of the right-hand press, which forces the sole against the shoe on last plate I6, cement having been preliminarily applied to the outersole.

During the inflating of the bag 12 of the righthand press, the operator loads the left-hand press by swinging its last plate I8 laterally and arranging a shoe thereon and then swinging it back over the inflatable bag I2 of the left-hand press, with a, cement coated outersole intervening between the shoe and the bag. Hence the left-hand press is loaded and ready when the right-hand press has completed its sole-pressing operation, and the operator merely depresses pedal I34 to open the left-hand press to the supply pressure, and to simultaneously open the right-hand press to the exhaust line in prepara- ,aaaeva tion for an out-swing of last plate It for uniing and re-loading. 4

The molded nature of the bags I2, requiring no interior bladder, constitutes a definite and important improvement over prior inflatable bags, and facilitates loading and unloading by my improved laterally swingable last plates. A lasted shoe more readily and quickly may be properly arranged on the last plate It or I8 and swung to operative relation in the press than can a shoe with lasttherein be properly positioned in a press according to prior procedures. Also,

the lasts, which heretofore have had to remain I in the shoes until after the sole-applying operation, are released for use elsewhere, thereby reducing the number of lasts required to be kept on hand.

I claim as my invention:

1. A press comprising an inflatable jaw mounted on a flxed support for relatively large movement oi its work-engaging surface when inflated, a second jaw adjustably supported for standing stationary in coacting relation to the inflatable jaw while the latter is being inflated, means for inflating the inflatable jaw to apply pressure to work arranged between the jaws, and means for swinging said secondjaw laterally away from the inflatable jaw when the latter is deflated, for loading and unloading of the press, said inflatable jaw being loose on its flxed support and having rigid means carried on its walls and extending all around the pad pre-' venting lateral spread ofthe jaw when inflated.

2. A press comprising a generally horizontal fixed support, an inflatable jaw mounted on the support for relatively large movement 01 its work engaging surf-ace when transformed from deflated to inflated conditions, said inflatable jaw having a rigid means extending all around it maintaining the jaw against lateral spreading when inflated, and said support having a generally vertical projection rising to a height above the inflatable jaw, an arm pivoted on said projection and extending over the inflatable jaw in spaced relation thereto, means for adjusting said arm'relative to the inflatable jaw and for fixing it in any selected adjusted position, a second jaw pivotally mounted on said arm and including an element for supporting work thereon, said second jaw being swingable on its pivot, when said inflatable jaw is deflated, between a position foroperative coaction with the inflatable jaw'and a loading and unloading position laterally outward from the inflatable jaw.

3. In a shoe sole press, an inflatable jaw comprising two sheet sections of relatively heavy leather, a clamp securing said sheet sections in sealing engagement with each other all around the margins of the sections, each section having a relatively large-area wall generally parallel with the plane of the clamp and having side walls molded into a permanently set generally right angular relation to said plane of the clamp, one of said large-area walls also being molded to the general curved shape of the base of a shoe, and means supporting said inflatable jaw, said clamped margins of the sheet sections being free from connection to the support and free to rise and fall with inflation and deflation of the inflatable jaw, and said clamp preventing lateral spreading of the jaw.

4. In a shoe sole press, an inflatable jaw comprising two sheet sections of thick leather, each side walls molded thereon all around the sec: tions. and molded marginal flanges on the side walls all around the sections, a stiff, unyielding clamp extending all around the jaw and securin together said flanges of the two sections in sealing relation, with said large-area walls or the sections spaced apart by the side walls, means on which said inflatable jaw rests loosely, said clamp being free from connection to the support, and means coating the interior surfaces of the sections and rendering them impervious to gas.

5. In a shoe sole press, an inflatable jaw comprising a pair of molded leather elements, a clamp extending unyieldingly all around the jaw and securing said elements together to provide an air-tight chamber between them, the interior surfaces of the leather being treated with a gas impervious substance and said chamber being free of an inflating bladder, and means supporting the inflatable jaw while leaving said clamped portions thereof free to move relative to the support. a

6. In a shoe sole press, an inflatable jaw comprising a pair of molded leather elements, a clamp extending unyieldingly all around the jaw and securing said elements together to provide an airtight chamber between them, each said molded element having side walls molded into generally right angular relation to a larger area wall, means for injecting compressed gas into said chamber for spreading apart both of said langer area walls of said elements while said side walls are maintained by the clamp generally in their original condition, and means loosely supporting the inflatable jaw and'leaving said clamped portions thereof tree to rise with a said spreading apart of the larger area walls.

7. In a shoe sole press, an inflatable jaw comprising a pair of outer molded leather sheet elements and a pair of inner gas impervious sheet eiementsya clamp securing the margins of all four of said elements together in sealing relation and preventing lateral spreading or the jaw, said outer molded leather sheet elements having molded top and bottom yieldable walls and having molded side walls which are restrained by the clamp and substantially free from yielding, means for injecting compressed air between said inner elements thereby to cause outward yielding oi the top and bottom walls of the outer leather elements, and means loosely supporting the inflatable jaw so that said clamp is free to move with said side walls of the jaw toward and from the support.

8. A shoe sole press comprising an inflatable jaw for coacting with a second jaw to compress a shoe and sole between them, a fixed support on which said inflatable jaw is loosely supported, said inflatable jaw comprising two molded sections and a rigid clamp extending all around the jaw securing the sections together to provide a generally rectangular, hollow jaw having relatively large top and bottom walls which are adapted to spread widely apart when the jaw is inflated, with said clamp preventing lateral spreading of the jaw and ireeto rise and fall with inflation and deflation or the jaw, said second jaw being pivotally mounted ior swinging laterally to and from coacting relation to the inflatable jaw when the latter is deflated.

9. In a shoe sole press, a generally rectangular hollow inflatable jaw comprising two sheets of relatively thick leather, a rigid clamp extending all around the jaw clamping the marginal portions of said sheets together and preventing lateral spreading of the jaw when the jaw is inflated, a flxed support on which said jaw is loosely mounted with a substantial area or one sheet resting generally flatwise on the support and with said clamp in spaced general parallelism with the support, whereby inflation of the jaw effects ballooning or said substantial area of sheet and substantial movement of said clamp and the other sheet in direction away from the support.

10. A shoe sole press comprising an inflatable jaw having two generally rectangular flanged sections of molded flexible material associated together to provide a generally rectangular hollow jaw, a rigid clamp engaging the flanges of the sections all around the jaw, securing the sections together, and preventing lateral spreading of the jaw when inflated, said clamp being free from connection to anything other than the jaw so that it can rise and fall with inflation and deflation of the jaw, and rigid means loosely supporting the jaw at its under side and against which a wall of one section of the jaw balloons when the jaw is inflated, thereby to elevate said clamp and the other section of the jaw.

ANGELO PERRI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 376,406 Coy Jan. 10, 1888 1,514,606 Elliot Nov. 11, 1924 1,961,883 Laganas June 5, 1934 2,193,720 Griswold Mar, 12, 1940 2,247,101 Smith June 24, 1941 2,251,815 Abbratozato Aug. 5, 1941 2,334,437 Perri Nov. 16, 1943 2,338,764 Hart Jan. 11, 1944 2,344,714 Martin Mar. 21, 1944 2,005,608 Bresnahan June 18, 1935 1 2,058,446 Haselier Oct. 27, 1936 1,470,352 Dubbs Oct. 9, 1923 1,611,106 Dickey Dec. 14, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 853,296 France Nov. 28, 1939 457,748 Great Britain Dec. 4, 1936 508,369 Great Britain June 29, 1939 

